I had a great experience at Northern Cafe in El Segundo! The menu has an extensive selection of dim sum, dumplings, and signature Chinese dishes, so there's plenty to explore. Walked in and I love the ambiance of the space. It's modern/sleek with traditional elements. Some of my personal favorites were the cucumber salad, garlic string beans, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), beef noodle soup, and honey walnut shrimp. The soup dumplings were especially delicious with lots of chili oil and ginger, and the garlic string beans had that perfect snappy texture. Everything gave me another reason to want to come back and try more of the menu! The cocktails were another highlight. I loved how beautifully they incorporated Asian flavors, and honestly, I could have worked my way through the entire cocktail menu if I weren't the designated driver. There are plenty of nonalcoholic options, too, which is a nice touch. Our server was fantastic, and the overall experience made this a spot I'd happily revisit. The El Segundo location is also convenient, with a large shared parking lot in the plaza. If you're looking for a place to enjoy dim sum, soup dumplings, Chinese comfort food, and creative cocktails in the South Bay, Northern Cafe is worth checking out! read more

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I visited Northern Cafe as a solo diner. Here is how the experience went: I was seated immediately as a party of one. Tables were turning over quickly, and I noticed larger parties who arrived after me were also seated without a wait. Water arrived immediately upon sitting down, and the waitress took my order shortly after. The food pacing was fantastic--the items came out sequentially via food runners: Chicken Fried Noodles first, followed by the Beef Roll, and finally the Pan Fried Pork & Cabbage Dumplings. Service lagged once the food arrived. My server didn't check back on the table at all during the meal and only returned after I was finished and requested takeout containers, at which point she offered to bring the check. Additionally, a staff member cleared the chili oil, shoyu, and vinegar from my table while I was still eating, without asking if I was finished, which forced me to eat my last few bites without sauce. The kitchen efficiency and food timing are impressive, and prices are fair for the portion sizes. However, table service could be more attentive toward the end of the meal, particularly regarding checking in on diners and leaving table condiments until the meal is complete. read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - Pork & Cabbage Dumplings, pan fried ($14.50) Beef Roll ($14) Chicken Fried Noodles ($14.50) - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

This was my first trip to this location of Northern Café in El Segundo. I live on the east side and this is one of my go to restaurants out there I was able to online order my food, and there were lots of different options to order from. I want this hot and sour soup, the noodles, and the beef rolls. I would've ordered some other items, but it was too much food for just myself. The restaurant is nice and spacious. Parking can' be a little bit dicey because of how popular all the establishments are here in this plaza. I got really lucky for finding the spot I was able to find. But I feel like it easily have been a nightmare and me looping around for a long time. But otherwise, I felt very fortunate funding the parking that I did Northern cafe here in el segundo is a great addition to the restaurant variety. read more

Decent spot! Been here a few times. Reasonable prices and good food. This location's menu items are different from other Northern Cafes so be prepared if you're expecting to order a specific item... they may not have it. But what they DO have is pretty good! No complaints from us. Their beef rolls were cooked well and weren't too salty. Good portion sizes too for what you're paying. We also got their sturdy fry noodles and house special beef noodles. The broth for their house special beef noodles were SOLID. I'd get this one again when I come back. Solid tofu dish too As for the ambiance, it was nice! Not noisy, not too quiet. Families were here as well as single diners. read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

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I visited Northern Cafe about two weeks ago while I was out shopping and realized I was starving. I looked up what was nearby and was pleasantly surprised to find this restaurant just a short walk away. Sorry for the late review--I never seem to write them on the actual day of my visit! We arrived during lunch hours and discovered they offer lunch specials, which were surprisingly affordable. I have to admit, I'm usually skeptical of very inexpensive lunch specials because, as we say where I'm from, "sometimes cheap ends up being expensive." In other words, I worry that lower prices might mean lower quality. That was absolutely not the case here. The biggest surprise of the meal was the dan dan noodles. Wow. They were absolutely delicious--easily one of the highlights of the meal. Honestly, everything we ordered was very good. The service from our server, Carlos, was great, and another server who was blond and spoke Spanish was even more attentive. Both were very friendly and helpful. We were so hungry when we arrived that we completely missed the "Wait to be Seated" sign and almost walked halfway through the restaurant before realizing our mistake--our apologies for that! The restaurant itself feels cozy and welcoming. I visit this shopping area quite often, and I'm really glad I discovered Northern Cafe because I will definitely be coming back from time to time. If you're looking for a delicious and affordable lunch, I highly recommend trying their lunch specials. The quality of the food far exceeded my expectations, and I don't think you'll regret giving this place a try. read more

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Doordashed the sauerkraut beef hot pot and it was satisfying. Comes with beef, corn, fish cakes, sausages. Not too much sauerkraut which I was looking forward to but that is ok. Soup was mild. I didn't get utensils so minus one star. Luckily I had my own. read more

I've been to Northern Cafe in El Segundo a few times, both for dine-in and through Uber Eats. Unfortunately, my first couple of experiences were not great when it came to the food, although the service was good. I decided to give it another try today and ordered the chicken dumplings with chili oil, pork ear, and custard buns. The custard bun was the only dish I really enjoyed. The pork ear was way too salty, and the chicken dumpling filling was dry, extremely oily, and very salty. I could only eat two pieces before I had to stop. I really wanted to like the food because the service has been good, but after several visits, the food just hasn't worked for me. I hope they can improve the seasoning and consistency because I'd be happy to give it another try in the future. read more

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The staff is friendly, efficient, and welcoming without being intrusive, which is a sweet spot that's hard to hit, and the restaurant felt clean and comfortable. This place is a gem for when I'm craving dishes like dan dan noodles or orange chicken, but don't want the accompanying heavy, greasy feel that other resaturants with a similar menu sometimes have. Pork soup dumplings and beef roll are also standout dishes. All dishes are well-balanced, and the lack of that heaviness lets the ingredients and seasonings shine through. read more

Horrible service. Went in at 7:15, after a ten minute wait to order, I guess they did not want to serve me. I guess being black is a reason to be seated without even being asked if I wanted water or anything. I sat there while another server asked someone else about their "to go" order. I got up and walked out. I just got off work and just wanted something to eat before heading home. Guess I can't get that here. read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - Northern Cafe in El Segundo Sign - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

Four stars only because, even though they were severely understaffed, our waiter tried very hard to be accommodating on a Tuesday night. Food itself was normal, the flavors and seasonings weren't traditional but decent Enough to eat. Plenty of parking in the lot. Very casual ambiance, lot of families. Did have to wait quite a bit for everything to come out because of the lack of staff. read more

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This place is amazing! The house beef noodle soup, chicken fried rice, and pork shrimp and chive dumplings are our favorite. First had this place when they were by UCLA, and it's even better now. 10/10. read more

What I love most was the attentiveness of the servers. They sat us down as soon as we came in and gave us our hot drinks. The food tasted a little differently from the other Northern Cafe branches but in a good way. We ordered quite a lot of food from fried rice to beef noodles to xiao long bao to the dumplings and everything tasted perfectly - taste was not too bold and definitely not bland. The ambiance was friendly and quiet. read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

Didn't know northern cafe was here! Was going to fish grill but then "discovered" northern cafe. Nice large seating area and good service. Food is great- we got the beef wrap, xiao ling bao, spicy wontons and yummy dandan noodles. read more

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Northern Cafe is our favorite Chinese spot in El Segundo. It's always so consistent with the quality, service, and atmosphere. Our must gets are the string beans, walnut honey, and the dumplings. Love that they have happy hour deals in honor of the World Cup, great prices for beers on draft. The workers are so nice and gave us good recommendations. ig: @cravingswithcat read more

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Stopped in briefly to kill some time before a Hammer & Nail appointment and decided to grab a drink. Turns out it was happy hour -- half off beers and cocktails, which was a great surprise. I went inside, sat down, and was greeted right away by the waitress Diana who made sure I was properly taken care of. The restaurant was empty at the time, so service was super fast and attentive. I ordered the Yuka Mule, and the presentation was on point. It came out in a proper mule cup, and the bartender definitely didn't skimp on the pour. I didn't try the food this visit, but based on the experience, I'm confident it's just as good. I'll definitely be back for dinner. read more

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It's a well known chain and I typically have a go-to order at the Irvine location. I was surprised to see that they didn't offer popcorn chicken at this location. They did have plenty to choose from, which was good. Service could've been better, we asked the food runner for hoisin sauce but he didn't know if they have any so he said he would need to ask the server. It took a while to get boxes for our leftovers too. The food was good, loved their spicy chili oil that accompanied the wontons. The beef wrap was perfectly crispy outside, yet very juicy in the inside. read more

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Northern cafe is amazing. They soooometiles struggle with consistency, but overall solid Chinese food and dim sum. Perfect for a quick and easy lunch or dinner. My favs are the pork chili dumplings and beef fried rice. Also, excellent milk teas. Jasmine green milk and Thai milk teas are a stand out. The orange chicken is good too! They are quick once you get your order in. They accommodate allergies well, as I have a shellfish allergy. The place is very clean, usually has open tables and always has a game on or the Olympics as of late;) read more

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If zero stars was an option, it would be zero stars. The service was very dismissive, and three servers kept mistaking our order. I genuinely prefer the Gardena location. The service at the Northern Cafe in Gardena is very welcoming, homey, and respectful. This location in El Segundo made me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. While we were waiting for our orders to come in after recorrecting twice what we had ordered, the staff member was actively drinking alcohol in the back. Food was okay and not really heated up as you would expect for soup. read more

I love this place. I'm actually seated right now and stuffing my face. Hubby and I got the pork wontons in chili oil, chicken wings, egg rolls, and the Szechuan boiled beef. First of all we were seated immediately, and the wait staff has been amazing. Our waiter, Jose has been very, very kind and attentive. He brought us every sauce that they have to offer when we asked if there were any other options than sauce that comes with the chicken wings. So far everything is delicious. The setting is in El Segundo and it's in a pretty big industrious building in one big space and it's very clean. This is the first time that I've been here and I will happily return. An easy five stars for Northern Café. Thank you so much Jose. read more

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My god, the food here is delicious! It wasn't too crowded at noon so barely any wait time. The Beef Rolls are to die for, the Chinese pancake wrap it was in was so crispy and it comes with a side of sauce, yum! The string beans are also very good, very well seasoned with garlic. And the pork dumplings, the bomb! It also comes with sauce and optional ginger. The server was outstanding. And the atmosphere was great, not noisy. If I'm down in that area again, I will try more items. As a Chinaman, I give this 5 stars across the board! read more

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We stopped by the restaurant for a quick lunch after a morning walk at the nearby beach. Inside it was modern, well lit, and spacious enough for 60 to 80 guests. The courteous waitress got us seated right away and promptly brought the menu which was similar to other Northern Cafes but with less noodle type selection. For this visit, we ordered the following items: House Special Beef Noodle Soup: The portion was quite generous. The broth with its blend of spices was savory with slight umamish sweetness and a tad spicy. The thin style noodles were nicely cooked and al dente. The beef pieces were tender and flavorful. Boiled Shrimp, Pork, Chives Dumplings: We ordered the regular boiled pork and cabbage dumplings originally but got these ones instead. What a lucky mistake, the blend of pork and shrimp had a very nice texture, and fillings were very flavorful. The wraps were boiled perfectly without any tears. Pork Potstickers: The wraps were nicely pan fried, not too oily and with beautiful crispy browning on the underside. The fillings with pork and chives were flavorful and aromatic. Pig Ear in Chili Oil: The thinly sliced pig ears were fresh and nicely crunchy. The seasoning was pleasant and slightly numbing spicy from Szechuan peppercorns. A nice lunch overall and we will definitely visit it again whenever we are in the area. read more

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Service was fast and the food came out piping hot!! The restaurant is casual and clean. We love their soup dumplings, spicy beef noodle soup, fried rice cakes, bok choy and cucumber salad. A huge plus is the fact that they have the stir-fried rice cakes! That is an item that isn't easy to find on a lot of chinese menus! This location offers it but the Gardena location does not offer it. The noodles at El Segundo do not taste like it's made in house but the Gardena location is made in house. Both location is good, but parking at El Segundo is a bit better. Anything you eat at Northern Cafe is always good. Portions are just right with very little leftovers. read more

No one wants to go out on rainy nights so we decided to order in. This place is super efficient. We only had to wait about 30 minutes for delivery. Food was still surprisingly warm! The only downside is that the crispy chicken is not as crispy as takeout versus eating at the restaurant. But I am so impressed that they take so much care in packing the containers nicely even for take out orders. read more

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Love this place's food so much. Cucumber salad ( maybe too garlicky) and vegetarian mapo tofu! ( no ground pork)... perfect sauce that I have tried to replicate at home and failed! The wait staff was lovely. It is a little noisy on a Friday afternoon, but the cacophonous sound didn't disturb us because my pal Michael and I were just chatting away as " close talkers"... ;))) Parking is free and plenty of spots! We had a great time and next time we are going out for dinner vs lunch! read more

The food here was ok, the soup dumplings were the best out of the few things we ordered. The dan dan noodles were strong in peanut flavor which is alright. Unfortunately the shrimp chili wontons were not good. The cucumber on the inside tastes wrong. We ended up not eating the rest of the wontons due to the flavor. The service was great and the location is nice and easy to find. read more

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The Baseline: For Asian dumplings, the food flavors need to be authentic, the portions have to be properly sized, and the restaurant must be comfortable and stylish. Food: Update (Aug 2025) - Had the Pork Soup Dumplings, scallion pancakes, House fried rice, and the Green Beans. I love the green beans and even when they are heated up the next day they are good. Service: Update (Aug 2025)- Good service today with me only having to ask for water refills once. Atmosphere: Update (Aug 2025) - Clean tables, dining area, and bathrooms. read more

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What an unexpected feast! We went here for a lunch and left fully satisfied! For a "chain" Chinese restaurant, Northern Cafe serves very authentic and delicious Northern Chinese cuisine, and when you come during happy hour, the food was surprisingly pretty darn affordable! The service was also great! We first started with the humble Chicken Noodle Soup and it was a strong first dish with its refreshing clear broth, yummy noodles, and chicken. The chili oil at our table works well to add even more interest to this already delicious noodles, and we completely finished this bowl of goodness. Next, we had the green onion pancake, and it came with a very delicious dipping sauce that has a tangy, earthy flavor that added some depth to the pancake. The pancake itself can use a little more thickness and filling, but the crispiness was perfect. After that, we had both the Pork & Cabbage Pan-fried Dumplings and the Juicy Pork Dumplings. Boy, it was hard to choose which one is better because they're both delicious, but I think the Pork & Cabbage won out because it was ALSO a juicy soup dumpling, so when you add the combination of the pan-fried exterior, it was such a perfect dumpling. Both also paired well with the chili oil as well as the soy sauce. Next on our list was the Lao Gan Ma Fried Noodle with Chicken, and this dry noodle dish was it very savory in flavor, with a hint of spiciness and sweet soy. I like the subtle complexity of this noodle dish because you have opposing and adjacent flavor profiles working well together. Last and unfortunately least, the Hot & Sour Soup was the only dish that didn't quite work for us. The taste seemed a little odd, like it wasn't what we expected from hot & sour soup. It's not bad, but it was clearly our least favorite dish. All in all, we could have easily chosen at least 8-10 more menu items from Northern Cafe, so you can expect us to be back soon! read more

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Good family friendly casual dining place for Chinese food that is close to Manhattan Beach. We had a couple of small children with us so we went for an early evening dinner . Not crowded at 4pm. They did have a lot of people coming in to pickup food to go. Enjoyed the orange chicken, Mongolian beef , shrimp and green beans. Hot and sour soup was a little too salty and could have had more vegetables like bamboo shoots and wood ear fungus. Service was good and we enjoyed our meal. read more

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Today, We discovered the Northern Cafe. The food was absolutely delicious, just bursting with flavor! We were very pleased with Carlos' friendly attentive service & look forward to going there again! read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - Chicken Wontons in Chili Oil (8) - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

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Ambiance: it's a trendy Chinese restaurant located in el segundo, shared parking lot with other merchants, spacious dining and comfortable sofa seats inside Service: friendly although slow, it took a while to place the order and get water Food & Drink: standard northern cafe menu Pig Ear in Chili Oil - **** tasty and crunchy, recommend Cucumber Salad - *** light taste Szechuan Boiled Fish - ** not made fresh, tasted old Golden Soup Hot Pot - *** Beef, Beef Meatball, Corn, Fishball, Frozen Tofu, Imitation Crab, Konjae Jelly, Sausage, Spam, Tempura fish stick, Wood ear, variety of choices, very salty broth Dan Dan Noodle - **** with ground pork, green onion, tasty dry noodle, recommend Jasmine Green Tea - **** refreshing taste Jasmine Genmaicha, aroma of toasted rice, recommend Price: moderate portions and reasonable prices, expect $40~$45 per person read more

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Northern Cafe in El Segundo has a really nice environment and is situated in a great area with fun outdoor activities for both kids and adults. Service started out good, but after our food was delivered, no one came back to check on our table for the rest of the visit. Unfortunately, the food failed to meet expectations for a Chinese restaurant. The Dan Dan noodles tasted good on their own, but they tasted nothing like traditional Dan Dan noodles--there was no hint of Sichuan peppers, and they were just very sweet and oily. The pork soup dumplings had basically no soup in them; while they were juicy, they felt extra fatty compared to what you get at other places and made us feel heavy before we were actually full. The steamed veggie dumplings were also not good. The only highlight of the meal was the vegetable chili oil spicy wontons, which were decent. Also my husband had terrible stomach pain and nausea after the meal. Between the inconsistent service and disappointing food quality, we certainly will not be returning. read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

I hope a manager or owner sees this review for their information. Off day on Friday night 1/30/26. As usual, customers are often ignored when entering the restaurant. The servers would walk by the entrance but not acknowledge the customers. I assume they're not tasked with being the host to seat people, but they don't even say hi, and the host rarely comes timely. That's an awkward wait since the restaurant is usually less than 50% full. Someone at the cashier counter could at least make eye contact and motion that they'll be right there, but they don't. Fried rice and rick cake came out promptly so we were off to a good start. However, fried rice was less flavorful than usual, while the rice cake was too salty. Okay enough. I wouldn't have written this update if just that. Pork soup dumplings came out next and were fine. However, we had ordered two orders, and the second order didn't come until we were done eating. There's no excuse for this. They weren't even busy and the order was definitely placed in the computer. Beef noodle soup came out next but was lukewarm,. Both the soup and the noodles were barely hotter than room temperature , so we had to send it back to get heated properly. However, we had a hard time finding our server. We had to reluctantly raise our hand to get someone's attention, but 3 of the workers flat out looked at my raised hand and looked away carrying on with their own business. Dan dan noodles and pan fried pork and cabbage dumplings were fine. The restaurant wasn't even busy but both the kitchen and the service had an off night. read more

Order for delivery and the food came steaming hot! It was our first time trying this location since there are several in the South Bay! The food was delicious given that it was a take out order! We can't imagine how it would have been in person! The dumplings were juicy and filled with deliciousness! The fried noodles were a staple for us. They even gave us a few free rice bowls which was nice! We are definitely planning on going in person next time! We can't wait to try other dishes! read more

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I really like it here. It's affordable, the food is good, and the location is nice. It gives off a nice vibe. Our waitress was really kind and funny. I've been here a few times and everyone is always so nice and welcoming. They're also very patient with you and help you pick what to order. Portions are large, so expect to eat family style. The buns are huge. Only 1 comes per order and we were expecting them to be small. There's a reason it's only 1 per order...we should have known! In the many times I've been here, I would say my favorite dishes are the cucumber salad and green onion pancake. read more

I was sat immediately as a solo party, but the restaurant was busy for big parties. I ordered the house special beef noodle soup and the pork wontons in chili oil. The soup broth was phenomenal. The pork wontons were the real star of the meal. I ordered tea, but they had no more tea pots. They offered alternatives but I was fine with just water. A delicious 10/10 read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - House Special Beef Noodle Soup 红烧牛肉面 - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

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Came back for beef noodle soup and ended up ordering beef noodle soup, fish, and eggplant. The beef noodle soup is good but lacks a bit flavor. The fish and eggplant were way better. Very flavorful and saucy. Both fish and eggplant come with a side of rice, which was very necessary with these dishes! Service was very fast and we were helped and served within a few minutes. This spot is a slightly elevated but casual Taiwanese restaurant and is very good for west la! read more

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Ordered here again and their portions seemed to get much smaller than before. Ordered 2 beef rolls, orange chicken and chicken pan fried dumplings. Flavor is still good, although the dumplings and orange chicken was soggy, even though it was picked up right away. We took out, so could t comment on service., although we got our order fairly quickly. read more

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Great go-to Chinese spot...perfect for a quick, tasty meal with the family. I'm really into this place for a few solid reasons. The Chinese food is just plain good...maybe not the most authentic, but exactly what I want from a takeout-style or casual sit-down meal. No frills, no fuss. Easy in and out. It's usually pretty mellow during lunch or early dinner, which makes it ideal when you've got kids in tow. Super family-friendly. The orange chicken, beef and broccoli, and shrimp fried rice are all hits at our table. I also love that it's surrounded by fun little retail spots to browse before or after, and there's even a nearby haircut place we take the kids to. Good food, kid-friendly vibes, and convenient...can't go wrong! read more

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Food: 4/5 Food was great, had the lunch specials including Dan Dan noodles, pork potstickers, pork ribs with rice and a side of black tea (sweet). Definitely order the black tea, so refreshing, wished it was free refills i would have been off the rails. Overall great food, can't go wrong! Service: 5/5 Quick, attentive staff. Very nice. Ambience: 4/5 Nice, clean, modern. Great for lunch, plenty of space. read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - Black tea (ice/sweet) - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

Nice modern Chinese restaurant with an efficient staff even for a party of 9. Yup, we were 7 adults 2 kids and they handled us very well and served us quickly so the kids didn't get too restless...they even gave a kids menu which was perfect for our 5 year old. Food was nice and tasty, portions weren't large but good enough. Nothing outstanding but we were all satisfied and happy. There's lots of parking around the restaurant and in a nearby parking building for the El Segundo mall. read more

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